Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Pets without Feathers => Topic started by: rainie on January 23, 2011, 19:44
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Am I allowed to ask on here...?
I am looking for a rehome/rescue springer spaniel. I found my previous 3 or rather they found me, by word of mouth. Does any of you know of one needing a nice home? I only have one at the moment.
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As long as it's FREE TO A GOOD HOME that's fine :)
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Great, it will be and it is. :D It will also have a criterea to fit for me, and me it. (like not weeing up the leeks or digging up the spuds, as if i would :lol:) Thank you.
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Hi there i foster springer's how far are you prepared to travel? :)
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My brother rehomed one from the breed rescue place as the owner's divorced. It was so intelligent and well behaved but immediately tore its thigh open when it was crashing through brambles and it took six months to get it right. Huge vets bills almost from day one. You take the rough with the smooth when you get dogs. Peeing on leeks would be the least of your troubles
My rescue dog was a nightmare. He peed on everything :D Still, for better or worse, sickness and in health :nowink:
It's a tremendous commitment and you have to be sure you're doing the right thing.
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Re. the peeing ..... I would always get a bitch, much more civilised! ( Sorry chaps :D )
Bear in mind that springers are gun dogs and do flush out the game. Not always effective through your garden. ???
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Hi Twissle, if the critera was right for both the springer and me, I would seriously consider the mileage.
I have asked around my area at the moment as there are a few contacts, and have also looked online at reputable springer rescue/rehome sites. I will register with these too.
The springer I have at the moment is happy with just our company but as he has spent most of his 5yrs in company of his mother (till she died a few months ago), and would love him to have a buddy to loon around with again.
Do you have a website or email where I could chat to you please?
Compostqueen, the 1st rehome springer that came to live with me years ago launched herself through a parked vehicle drivers half opened window, she was bruised and had a small cut, and thankfully made a full recovery. She soon settled in to her new home with me, and we were there for each other helping each other through our traumas. She was a very special springer.
Thrift, the next rehome springer i had came with her son (who i still have), and she used to flush out hedgehogs and carry them into her bed so I fenced off the bottom part of the garden with the chickens and veg and building a hedgie house. Works a treat. Also we now have raised beds, and the dog(s) can be with us in the veg part when we are there without wee'd leeks. :)
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My brother's dog lived to a ripe old age and he was so intelligent and well behaved. He had a mop of curly hair on the top of his head :) He never regretted rescuing him. I think he was from Hull area rescue place (for Springers)
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:D :D :D Cant stop grinning :D :D :D
Just had a call from a spaniel rehome lady, she has one coming in to her in the morning, will be assessed, and she is phoning me Thur night. She rehomed my last two with me. :D :D :D
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Yey! Fingers and toes crossed it's a positive phone call on Thursday for you :)
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Great news rainie :D Your boy will be so pleased tohave a pal ..... sounds as though you have the perfect setup. Lucky re-homed dog :D
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Hi Twissle, if the critera was right for both the springer and me, I would seriously consider the mileage.
I have asked around my area at the moment as there are a few contacts, and have also looked online at reputable springer rescue/rehome sites. I will register with these too.
The springer I have at the moment is happy with just our company but as he has spent most of his 5yrs in company of his mother (till she died a few months ago), and would love him to have a buddy to loon around with again.
Do you have a website or email where I could chat to you please?
Compostqueen, the 1st rehome springer that came to live with me years ago launched herself through a parked vehicle drivers half opened window, she was bruised and had a small cut, and thankfully made a full recovery. She soon settled in to her new home with me, and we were there for each other helping each other through our traumas. She was a very special springer.
Thrift, the next rehome springer i had came with her son (who i still have), and she used to flush out hedgehogs and carry them into her bed so I fenced off the bottom part of the garden with the chickens and veg and building a hedgie house. Works a treat. Also we now have raised beds, and the dog(s) can be with us in the veg part when we are there without wee'd leeks. :)
So sorry i've only just seen this reply. I'm stuck in bed at the moment with siatica :(. Sound's like your on your way to getting your new dog, If you need any advice or it doesn't workout please feel free to message me i'd be more than happy to give you my email. Good luck please let us know how it all goes.
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Gosh Twizzle, in bed with sciatica. Wish you were nearer, i could help you. Have you ever tried any neuro or holistic treatments for it?
Will keep you all posted with new dog when it finds us.
Take care
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Gosh Twizzle, in bed with sciatica. Wish you were nearer, i could help you. Have you ever tried any neuro or holistic treatments for it?
Will keep you all posted with new dog when it finds us.
Take care
Lol can't remember the last time i stayed in bed all day ::). Hehe with a springer, cocker a lab and a yr old foster springer the help would have been great :D. Lucky hubby give's them a run in the evening's and my daulter play's in the garden with them before school, So not too bad.
No i havn't tried any neuro or holistic treatment's yet, I had it before about 5yr's ago and had to have two disc's taken out. I'm not a tablet person normaly but have had to give in i'm on almost 20 aday :ohmy:. No really doing much for the pain just taking the edge off really.
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I'm meeting Harry in the morning.
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good luck bet you can;t wait :D
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Well, he's here. Harry. Looks like he's staying.
I will need to find a bit of a different morning and evening routine for a while as he is scared horses and sheep.
He's adorable, overweight but adorable. Apparently likes sausages and crisps. No particular flavour! Sausages and Crisps are definately not on his menu here.
Lead work is quite good really, and recall isnt too bad, I think hes got so much happening and to look at at the moment, once he has got used to his surroundings, he'll be fine.
He has some nice manners. Bendog likes him.
Harrys fascinated by the chickens but maybe its because he likes chasing birds.
The lawn may have a nice big circle round it shortly.
He has had the run of the house previously, so at the moment he is complaining about the stairgate bless him.
He'll come right though, soon be a fit slim chilled (yes chilled :D) springer.
I'm pleased we have found him and him us.
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Rainie, I'm very pleased to hear this. :) I think it sounds as though we should be seeing some pictures in Pets Gallery soon?
:D
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Oh that's great news :D. I'm so pleased for you both. What colour is he? and how old :)
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He's liver and white, and hes five but looks older, probably because of the weight he's carrying. His coat is a bit dull, and he drinks little and often (each time he walks past a water bowl). I think it will be a good idea to get his bloods checked for any liver probs etc,but I suspect as he enjoyed sausage and crisps, he may have excess salts and toxins in his body, and with short and often exercise and better feeding, his health will improve.
Pictures in the gallery? Its on my list of jobs to do. Taking them is ok, its getting them onto the pc and then on here. Will try my best (i aim for a quiet working week this week as I cant shake off the fluey and cold germs).
I offered him half a carrot to chew on yesterday and he looked away from it in disgust. 'eugh, i dont do carrots!'
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AWW bless him he sound's like Jamie my foster boy, He was 8month;s when i got him but was so fat and had no mussle he looked like 8yr;s, his fur had no shine what so ever I gave him a tin of pilchard's once aweek his got a lovely shine now.And a lot of playing with my dog's shifted the weightand a lot of gentle hill work brought the mussle's back, His now my pridw and joy :D.
As for the carrot what i did was sat down with him and ate some of the carrot myself and just broke a small bit off for him. Hehe he soon got the hang of it and loves's me now. I wouldn't be too worried about the water it some dog's are just like that, But still a good idea to let the vet give him the once over. Lol i'd love to show my dog's off but i can't get the hang of it still :lol:
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That's great rainie!! It sounds as though he's had too much of a very poor diet. You'll soon have a lovely sleek, fit dog. Best of luck with him. :D
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Springer Harry update. He gave me a real proper cuddle last night. You know the one, the one that says 'i like it here, its actually okay'.
Havent had any problems with him disliking people with glasses, but baseball caps - now thats a lot different. He does a big bark but scared with it, lots of noise and standing his ground but it the person removes the cap then squats to his level, he calms down. Stil not relaxed though, but gently gently does it. ;)
He wittles a bit when in the kitchen with the other dog and people are in the adjoining room, but again this is improving tremendously. (he had run of house in last home).
A single piece of gravel in a plastic bottle with the smallest of a shake (just enough to slide the gravel from one side of the bottlebase to the other, so really gentle), is enough to let him know the whittling isnt necessary. This again is getting less and less as time goes on.
Oh and he has learned to use a dog flap on the outside kennel , he was so excited when he first came from the inside to the outside bless him, he scooted round the lawn and bushes like a, well like a happy springer! :D
Introduction to horses, oh my god, one came up to him and he ran back to me and hid behind me as if the horse was a dinasour going to eat him. Again with gentle introduction he is fine, in fact a bit too comfy for my liking, so will carefully assess him all the while so he doesnt get trodden on when he leans into their legs as if the horse was a human.:unsure:
Sheep? Well theres 4 old ones in the field,quite secure in their fat sheepy life. He was interested whilst he was on the extendable lead and I aired on theside of caution big time. The sheep owner insisted I let him off to assess him, and relucatantly i did. He rounded them up, kept them tight, lost his recall and hearing, ran a very tight circle round them. :ohmy: I dived to catch him, much to my freinds amusement and held him, he was fine, he just stood, and so did the sheep. Back on the lead he was fine, didnt misbehave.
That was yesterday. This morning, sheep lesson 2...friend said to let him off. I didnt. Let him have full length of lead, sheep moved to the stables and stood between the two horses. Sheep turned to face him and stamped their feet.Harry thought twice about moving towards them and did so eventually a cautious step at a time and when he was head to head with the bossy one it butted him, but not too harshly, which is what i was hoping for. Harry now has respect for the sheep. I will use this exercise again tomorrow morning and feel confident there will be improvement.
Electric fence? It didnt zap him so he pops under it and sniffs inside the hedge then comes straight back to me. Recall isnt immediate though. But after about 5 or 6 calls hes back. Other dog Ben and his Lab friend Nelly dont follow him, they stand andwatch as they know the rules and greet him nicely, then run off to play together. Phew.
If theres not many fullstops here, its because there arent many during these real life adventures :lol:
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So glad his doing soo well hehe sound's like his been there forever :D. I know a lot of people won't agree about the sheep but i think it's a great idea, As long as it's controlled like you did it's the best way :D
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Meet Harry
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He's lovely! :D
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Harrys got two hot dates! One with the dog trainer and me, (to train me :D how to control Harry) with sheep. And the second date is with the vet for a health check.
He has chewed on a carrot as a treat, yey.
Also when he is in the kitchen I can sometimes leave the stairgate open and he doesnt come into the lounge, so positive news there too.
He and Ben (my other 5yo rehomed springer) love playing tug of war with a scraggy rope, oh and then theres the plastic flowerpots, theyre fun too. The lawn is looking like a springers lawn, but it is wet here at the moment and mud is sticking to them like glue. Have washed them both off with a bucket of warm soapy water (Harry loved it), and then washed off the slab path and concrete hardstanding. Garden looks a bit loved now.
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It sounds as though he is picking things up very quickly, which is great. :) Really enjoying the updates! :D
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Mucky paws again ha ha. Anyone any suggestions what to plant in them. They've been recently filled with soil and horsemuck.
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Do you mean in beds and/or containers? I've always trained mine not to "walk on the flowers". :) Of course, Springers might speak a different language. :D
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:D :D I meant the mucky paws have been filled with soil and horsemuck and what to plant in the mucky paws. :ohmy:
The dogs do have a good area of lawn and flowerbeds where they can have a sniffy track through. :happy: Or mad half hours. Flowers werent successful but the shrubs are fine,and somehow bulbs still come through and grow and flower.
The veg plot is fenced off and they are onlyallowed in there when i say. ;)
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Oh I see. :) They must be very mucky paws then. ::) :D
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Haha glad his doing so well :). Bet he love's carrot's now :D.
As for the muddy paw's when you think of something to grow in them let me know :D :D
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Been to the vets this afternoon. Harry shook. Ben was with him as a calming influence, good boy Ben. It doesnt seem that long since Ben was a wreck at the vets. Hes a big boy now- as if he knows Harry needs reasurrance and stability.
Anyway, we visit the vet and Harry is overweight as I well knew. Weighing 17.6kg and needs to get down to an ideal weight of 15kg. He is flat across his back. Teeth are a bit tartared up. Pulse and respiration are ok. Eyes and ears are ok. I completely forgot to ask for bloods. Do you think I should take him back and get them done? Would love your opinions/advice please.
He was scanned and is chipped.
Got some worming tablets for him (Ben was done last week).
I've not heard Harry cry in his sleep since that one time.
Tomorrow at 4pm we have a training session booked and am really looking forward to learning about where I am going wrong with him.
Gosh this little dog loves life and is very special.
Regarding the mucky paws, I have rigged up a short hose and spraygun, so my boots get done and so does 8 mucky muddy paws. Oh and I cant wait til friday as i can spend most of the day in the garden and greenhouse. Yey.
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I only have rescue cats but if they are fit and fabulous, and you know if they aren't, I don't worry them or me with the bloods. He's fat but you will fix that and otherwise, he is good. Enjoy life Harry, Ben and Rainie! Just remind yourself of the ridiculous price (45 min £43.00) people pay for mud baths and your boys get them for free! ??? :D :D
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Glad it went well at the vet's :D. I wouldn't bother with the blood's if your vet was worried about anything he'd have surjested it anyway. One of my foster dog's teeth were completely brown :(. After a week or so munching on carrot's they were as white as white can be. I'm shaw now his got you and Ben to play with the weight'll soon drop off :D. Please keep us up to date with how his doing.
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Thanks peeps, will keep you posted.
Twissle, hows the sciatica? Thats interesting about the munching on a carrot and teeth changing from brown to white in such a short time. Tomorrow i will try and take some pics of inside his mouth, so i can compare.
Madcat, free mudbaths for the dogs is great, seems i get my fair share of it too :D :D
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Siatica's not as bad thank's, I'm out of bed and playinging with the dog's in the garden and have a very good daulter who's doing the walking in the morning's and her Dad does the evening's. Yeah i was shocked at how quick they cleaned up, He did have a couple of the dental chew thing's aswell, But i found they upset his tummy. Just had a look through my record's, sorry i ment they looked cleaner in a week and by week 2 they were white. Yes it would be good to see a picture of his teeth. Bone's are good as well but i don't give them when i have foster's just incase it start's a fight. My four are fine they all take there's and run off and hide until it's all gone :D. Apart from my cocker how eat's her's so fast i have to give her another one ::) :D
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Dog training lesson yesterday was very good and very intense. My brain was fried! Harry is fine though. :D
We walked the perimeter of the 7acre field, and chatted, then headed to the sheep and horses, du du derrrrr! Harry was perfect bless his little cotton socks, or rather his muddy hairy paws and legs! He didnt chase anything! Nothing. Different dog! :ohmy:
So we worked around the animals, practicing the recall and sit and stay and wait. Trainer went right back to basics. We had an intense hour. Harry had time out in that time though, i didnt ??? Bendog was a star too, he was off the lead all the time and so when i called Ben back , Harry came too. Very basic work and really productive. I learned i need to slow MY walk down, and my commands need to be at the same time as my body language. Sorted. Ha. :D Er no, ::) its really difficult. It comes very easy to me with horses but actually not with dogs, even though i have always had one.
I plan to do 10minute slots throughout the day when i can.
It doesnt sound very intense reading it back, but it has taken till now for me to be able to break it down into text.
Today i worked with both dogs on the empty part of the field (no animals but lots of sniffs of fox, rabbit and muntjac and squirrels). We had a good time with no problems. If Harry didnt come when i asked him, then i changed my direction and kept doing that until he came to me. Each time he came back i said 'sit' and he did. Yey.
Ben kept looking at me with arent i a good boy eyes. :lol:
Someone who saw him on Saturday and then today,said he already looked healthier.
I know i have got my work cut out. I know i need to take responsibility to the highest degree for this happy harry. I know its going to cost me a few more training sessions. I know i am going to be broke for a lot longer. The trainer said it wont take long to get him right. Last night i had little sleep wondering what on earth i had done. Today i decided not to worry but to enjoy the lifestyle i have created for myself. And guess what I had 3 new clients for my work call me today. ...I can breathe.
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AWW i'm sitting here with tear's in my eye's. You should be so proud the way you've brought that boy on already :D. Nice to hear Ben's helping you out abit as well :). Lol I used to have to run away like mad when my first springer ben wouldn't come back :D.
I hope the people who are coming to see my foster boy tomorrow are half as kind as you, then i won't feel quite as bad letting him go, lol who am i kidding it's going to break my heart seeing him go.
I found 10min's here and there was better than an hour springer's are abit like kid's they get bored don't they :D :D. Great news about work by the way :)
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It must be really difficult letting a foster dog go. Look at the work you do with them though Twissle, they must be in a really good place in their head and i am sure you rehome them to the best person so both the dog and the person fit a tight criterea. Bet you wouldnt let them go if you had any doubts. Do you stay in touch with the people you rehome to?
I had thought about fostering now instead of making a permenant home for another, but have so many other commitments to fulfill i wouldnt be able to give enough time each time a fosterdog came to me. And it would be better if i owned a field to train them in. But maybe one day.....til then i now have quite a few good years ahead of me with 2 5yo springers and an 8yo pony...and i still have a lot to learn :D .
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I've loved reading the updates and it sounds like Harry has really landed on his paws finding such a fantasic owner. You're doing a fab job and I can't believe reading through this post how much progess you have made in such a short space of time. Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day and you're both allowed a bit of time out to figure out what you've both learnt before moving on to the next bit. ;)
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It must be really difficult letting a foster dog go. Look at the work you do with them though Twissle, they must be in a really good place in their head and i am sure you rehome them to the best person so both the dog and the person fit a tight criterea. Bet you wouldnt let them go if you had any doubts. Do you stay in touch with the people you rehome to?
I had thought about fostering now instead of making a permenant home for another, but have so many other commitments to fulfill i wouldnt be able to give enough time each time a fosterdog came to me. And it would be better if i owned a field to train them in. But maybe one day.....til then i now have quite a few good years ahead of me with 2 5yo springers and an 8yo pony...and i still have a lot to learn :D .
Yeah it is hard letting them go, This little man's even harder as i've had him about 5month's now. The people that came to see him took to him from the minute they saw him :D, And best of all Jamie took to them. they played in the garden with him for oyer an hour, Which is amazing Jamie normaly come's and find's me every few minute's but no not today :ohmy: :D.
I'm more than happy for them to have him. His going to have a great life going to work with them on a farm and in a forest a couple of day's a week the dog's are aloud to run and play alday Just the life i wanted for him. His going at 11 in the morning. It is quite hard but at the same time to see this little mouse come into my house and to see him leave as bold as brass just like a springer should be does do the heart a bit of good :). My horsey day's are gone know we last our old girl a couple of year's ago. I'm sticking to the dog's now. Lol don't think you ever stop learning with dog's or horse's do you :). Yes i do get to keep intouch, Someone will go and check everything's going ok in about amonth. Then i'll pop and see him in a couple of month's so his nice and settled before he see's me. the son has already sent me an email to show me all the place's he'll be going to play, It's spaniel heaven :D :D
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Thats really good news Twissle. The dogs do tend to find the owners dont they? Just him not coming back to you every now and then and staying with them says a lot. Hope when 11am tomorrow comes you will have proud tears as he goes off on his new adventure, knowing you have set him up for it. :wub: :)
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He went today, Lol i cried my eye's out, But yes i was proud to see how proud he was walking head and tail up, unlike when he came. Had a call his made his self at home and get's on great with his two new friend's and his new owner's are over the moon with him :D. How are your two getting on still the best of friend's?. hehe wait till they start ganging up on you :D :D
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Thank you foghorn leghorn. You are right about Rome and time out. Now the major assessment has been completed, its time to sit back and enjoy whilst our mad springy relationship develops with steady training and muddy ponds. (goodness knows what my other half will think with me writing that! :D :D :D)
Twissle, yes they are still buddies, seem to have their mad half hours in the kitchen though, not in the garden ::) . Ben is learning that its ok to play and bounce, his mum always kept him in check and i felt he needed a buddy to help him do this. I found it hard work dropping to my shoulder and roughing him up lke his mum did. :wacko: But now Ben is gradually learning and oh my gosh is there going to be a fun riot whan it happens. :lol: :lol:
Harrys diet is going well, he has lost 2cm from his girth, 1cm from his neck behind his ears and 4.5cm from his neck where is joins his shoulders. I will aim to get him on mates bathroom scales over the next few days. It sounds a drastic amount for him to lose in a short time, but he is nearly always on the go, exploring his new surroundings in a happy way. He is getting plenty of the correct food but not too much. (the measurements are approx as he wriggles a lot ::) :D)
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AWW sound's like my house. yeah what is it about playing inside my lot are the same :nowink:Then it's the mad dash outside and whip back in to see who can leave the biggest paw print's everywhere. :ohmy: :D. I agree with how you've done it the intence first I'm shaw there was time for fun as well, But yeah now's the getting to no each other time isn't it :). That old weight soon drop's off with the right food and a good old run around doesn't it, Jamie look's like a different dog within a couple of week's took a bit longer building his mussle's though. I when back to my horsey day's and slowly built him up on the hill's lol it nearly killed me though :D :D
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(thank you Argyllie)
Harry has a nose which just has to sniff and he cant stop sniffing, one day he will trip over his nose. :)
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At least whilst he is sniffing, hes on the go and losing the obesity which came with him.
Will try and get him weighed today and take a couple of pics of him as he is today. His weight is improving for the better as is his fitness level.
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Three Counties Rescue at Bourne often have springers for re-home,hope you get sorted :)
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Thankyou Jamima, We have Harry now as Bens new friend. Its good to know about Three Counties Rescue at Bourne though. :)
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Looking good rainie! :)
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oo blimey, nothing major to report. Lots of slow but positive progression :D
And took the boys for a social visit to the vet today, Ben to get him over puking in the boot, and Harry to get him happy to be visiting the vet for whenever we need to.
Ben only puked once in the boot. ::) Harry is by now hanging over the back seat trying not to puke himself! Pulled over, found calm again, and carried on. Vets was good, Harry not as bad as last time, he sat on the scales like he'd done it before (well he has once), and he took it in his stride and was a good boy. He's 16.4 now, so well down from the 18 and 17.6 he was. His skin slides nicely over his body now. He has a face too and can open his jaw in a free-er sort of way. The vet nurse made a fuss of them both and offered Harry a tiny piece of something nice, to which Harry responded with doggy language ooo no thank you i am on a diet.So vet nurse offered a bit to Ben who graciously accepted like a gentleman springer would. And Harrys piece too. After explaining to the vet nurse that Ben would bring it up again in the car on the way home, she was really good, and we carried on chatting about the progress Harry has made. The journey home was good apart from a little blip from Ben. On returning home, Harry was a star and i am hoping he is beginning to understand he wil always be coming back here to 'home'. I will make more of an effort and take more responsiblilty to ensure he settles in here by taking him for a few more rides in the car and ending back at home. ;)
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Have you tried letting Ben sit &/or eat his dinner in car when it's not going anywhere? Then just start engine but not move car during eating, then really short journeys (down the drive!) so you build up "this is a safe place to be"?
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Manicmum, thats interesting. No, not tried feeding him in the car. We do sit and have cuddles in the boot though. Never thought about the engine running, will try that. He went as a passenger the footwell once and seemed to travel happier.
Gosh, what a time to start travel training a dog with the price of petrol.
Thanks for the advice. :)
Harrys time on his extendable lead is more pleasurable and he and i dont get whiplash anymore. ;) He seems to know his boundaries better, both on the extendable lead in the field and off the lead. He still looks to chase sheep if they run though but i am happy with how things are progressing. My routine has had to change, and i have struggled with this, as i was so busy when he arrived with me, but its now getting easier, heaven knows where i have found the extra time from, but i have.
In the garden he has a bit of a racetrack now and the grass track is a bit shorter than the rest of the lawn. New adventure is a hole in the fence leading to the veg plot and chickens (who are well fenced). Ben looks at Harry and then at me, he's a good boy he knows when Harry is being cheeky and pushing the boundaries (literally). :)
Harrys teeth and gums are looking much healthier.
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Harrys update...
Slowly slowly catchee the monkey, and he has cheeky monkey written all over his face when he pinched Bens toy from him.
His recall is improving little by little. He has chased the sheep again but came back to me quicker so I am taking that as a positive.The 3 of us have been on some long walks where i can safely let Harry off his lead, and we do a fair bit of recall and keeping attention span alive.Its hard but productive. It takes him about 10mins before he really clocks onto me and then i am sooo proud of Harry.
Harry has stopped crying in the house now, and doesnt do it so often outside either. When we opened the door to let hi out for a wee in the garden, he used to run so fast i though he would explode, and he would hollar like a foxhound after a fox all the time he was out. The way we got him out of this habit was to hold his collar, let Ben out, tell Harry 'quiet!' and release his collar when his feet were on the outside of the house, he would crash into Ben (rightly or wrongly) as Ben would almost be helping us, Ben would grumble at him in a nice kind of dog way and Harry would be a lot quieter. Harry still goes flat out for the fist 5 minutes but is quieter now from releasing his collar from inside the house.
Retrieving is mad! He is so quick. He shakes his raggy duck toy so this gives me the impression he wouldnt be too succesful on a shoot as he would shake the bird too much. Anyway, hes not going to be a working dog as he is so scared of gunshot and similar noises.
Harrys weight is getting better but I havent weighed him recently. (Funds for petrol are too low to warrant a social visit to the vets at the moment, so i will make an effort to get him on my friends bathroom scales).
He does slow down after about 2omins fast exercise in the field, he needs to run off excess energy before settling, and i think he needs maybe more fast exercise than Ben, who is happy to trot along steadily after a while before going off again.This is where i find i have a recall problem. Harry needs to run off excess but he still needs to listen to me. So this is our next job and it will be hard for me as i feel i have no control over him when this happens in the field with the pony. He is better on strange land where he isnt so confident and he watches Ben more then too. They are so very different.
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Sound's like your doing a great job with him :D. Apart from my lab none of my dog's do any training for the first twenty minute's also (springer's + cocker). I cheap and try not to even have to use recall at first ;). Ben my springer i lost, was a * for recall until i realised it was best to call him and start walking away :D :D
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Thanks Twizzle, re;the calling and walking away I find it very scary between the dog going somewhere i dont want him to, until he responds to returning to me. I panic he may get too engrossed in the neighbours chickens (a hole in their fence) or similar. I know i need to trust him more but the 'what if' to me is very stressful. This is because i am not in control of my dog and bad things can happen, then i would be devastated, even though am doing my best.
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Thanks Twizzle, re;the calling and walking away I find it very scary between the dog going somewhere i dont want him to, until he responds to returning to me. I panic he may get too engrossed in the neighbours chickens (a hole in their fence) or similar. I know i need to trust him more but the 'what if' to me is very stressful. This is because i am not in control of my dog and bad things can happen, then i would be devastated, even though am doing my best.
Yeah i agree it's very scarey, I'd had my boy long enough that i almost knew what he was thinking and it was alway's away from live stock. Have you tried him on a lounge line? I use them on my foster dog's just incase they do a runner on me, My cocker has to go on it now and again just to remind her to come back :nowink:
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Yes, hes fine on the long lead, he is happy on that, knowing his limitations. I dont want him to be restricted though so when the surroundings are suitable, i let him off. Occasionally he goes awall. I know its early days for him and us, maybe i am putting too much pressure on myself to get him right before he is ready?
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Yeah i think you are putting too much pressure on yourself :tongue2:. But i'm shaw we're all guilty of that at time's arn't we :D. At least your not putting him or you up to fail though. Bet by the summer he'll be fine. ;)
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Harrys made up a new game.
He gets hold of the long bit on his collar (while he is still wearing it), and runs around carrying it in his mouth like a toy or bird. Nutter. ::) :lol:
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haha He sound's a right clown :D :D
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There is going to be a bit of thought being created in my garden on Wednesday. Harry has a date with the trainer again. :D Harry has been a vocal dog since he came to live with us, and a complete nutter when let out into the garden with a yap as he runs. I'm sort of able to correct the noise he makes, but have only just started to realise this is improving. He does however bark at the neighbours which he can see through the beech hedge. It is driving me up the wall, and I've spoken to the neighbours and they are fine with it. BUT, Harry is 5 and I really dont want him to get into a really strong habit of barking at them and hes going to be with me for his lifetime and I reckon the neighbours will ge fed up at some point. So, trainer is coming to work with me my 2 dogs and the neighbours, to suss out why he is doing it (I think its attention seeking to get me to go out to him.) He is such a mentally active dog, i need ideas for stimulation. When I can,I have upped his physical walks to a shorter one middle of the day as well as his 3/4 hour each end of the day. He seems really happy if he has attention consistently. Hmmm.
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Good luck with the training. My young springer's the same, She's got mild ocd sooo really need to get her out of it before she get's too bad. Will be interesting to hear what the trainer does with him. My girl's getting abit better since she found some rope and plastic bottles to throw all around the garden ::) :D